Art of generating gas.



W. B. CHAPMAN. ART OF GENERATING GAS. APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 23, 1908.

Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

unison smit s PATENT WLLLIAM B. CHAPMAN, 6F ZBRQQEIYN, NEW YORK, MQIGHQE EE) ENGI- NEERZENG (39., 8E NEW "LQEJK, Ell. i.

MET 9F GENERAEKWG GAEZL messes.

specification oi letters Potent.

lPetented Joni 26, Mi ton Application filled November 23, 1808. Serial No. defi its.

gas from coal and other fuels in what are tor and other bituminous su usually termed producers; and it resides in certain acts or steps concerning the fuel and gas which will be fully set iforth hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims. o

The accompanying diagram represents in vertical section oneof the various apparatus by which my improved art or process may be practised.

In the generation of gas by such processes as those to which my invention relates difiiculty is experienced by reason of the formation, in the body of incandescent fuel, of whet are termed blow holes or chimneys; 6. open passages or channels in the fuel through which the air blast or current finds easy passage without spreading through the fuel. The result is that a lar a quantity of CO, is produced and much waste is entailed. In addition to this, gas of non-uniform charactor is generated and reliable operations are impossible. Agitation by stirring devices in various ways has been attempted,

but always without complete success, owing principally to the impossibility of preservin uniform densit throughout any horizontal plane of. the uel bed, also to the difiithe intense heat incident to the process, and to the impossibility of securing uniform distribution of the air blast.

In processes of this nature ii ordinary bituminous coals are used the gas given oil by the fuel when it is first brought under the influence of the heat is heevil charged with bstsnces which render the gas unfit for use'in gas engines and even for transmission through small fiuesor pipes, unless the gas is thoroughly washed and scrubbed. This washing and scouring process not only involves complicatcd machinery and a large waste of Waterand power, but robs the gas of its richest -intermed1ate body is statiol'iav cult of protecting the stirring devices from,

heat producing constituents and is therefore, most uneconom'ical from the standpoint of thermal efficiency.

My present invention overcomes these dif- :ticulties; and in accordance with the invention, 1 cause portions out the incandescent fuel bed to move bodily with reference to each other and 1 cause the rich'torry gas from the upper part of the producer to pass downward and introduce it into the bodyof incandescent fuel at or near the point 5f relative motion thereof. By these operations all blow holes in formation are broken down and the fuel forced to take compact form,

while the tarry constituent of the richv gas introduce into the moving fuel is so acted on by the incandescent carbon as to fix or render permanent the gas and allow it to be easily cleansed and prepared for use either as heat or power gas. Owing to the continual movement of the fuel two important results are attained with regard to the blast of tarry gas; first, the gas is forced to spread. over and through the mass of fuel, insuring uniform results and utilization of all the heat in the glowing fuel for the transformation of the gas and second, the tendency of the blast of gas to travel through a fixed path in a concentrated current is entirely resisted and the formation of blow holes thereby prevented. J

Preferably the relative motion of the two or more bodies of fuel is effected by rotatmg them horizontelly either in opposite directions or in the same direction at difierent sgeeds. In the diagram c, b and 0 represent t rec superimposed sections of the incandes glowing fuel, of which the narrow end the top and bottom bodies are rotate at difierent speeds. This may be efiectcd Wvarious contrivances one of which, that shown in the diagram, consists in making the body of the producer in sections of which the sections a and c are rotatable by a suitable gearing such as d. a Again referring to the diagram, e represents a body hi fuel superimposed upon the cent or fire a and inclosed from atmospheric com- The fuel e gradually feeds down into the fire to replenish the supply as the fuel therein is consumed. The tarry gas passed through the moving fuel bed is cleansed of its impurities and passed from the operation as a clean fixed gas'which requires little further treatment and which maybe safely transmitted through comparatively small fiues without danger of clogging them.

In connection with the introduction of the Y tarry gas into the incandescent fuel, it is pointed out that to attain the best results the gas should be introduced into the interior of the mass of burning fuel at a point removed to some extent from the air supply. This prevents any material mixture of the air and gas and consequently avoids combustion of the gas and insures that the gas is passed through and acted on by the in;

candescent carbon bringing about the desired transformation ofthe gas. Thus, in the diagram, supposing an n ward draft through the fire, the tarry gas rom the fuel body e is introduced into the middle body I) pf the fire, removed from the air supply be- Certain of the subject-matter claimed in this application is disclosed but not claimed in my co-pending application Serial Number 293,754, filed December 29, 1905.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The improvement in the art of generating gas which consists in maintaining a mass of incandescent or glowing fuel agitating said incandescent fuel maintaining a mass of unburned fuel in proximity to and subject to the heat of the incandescent fuel, and causing the gas given off by the unburned fuel to pass into the mass of incandescent fuel, during the agitation of the latter.

2. The improvement in the art of generating gas which consists in maintaining a mass of incandescent or glowing fuel maintaining a mass of unburned fuel in proximity to and subject to the heat of the incandescent fuel forcing the gas given off by the unburned fuel into the mass of incandescent fuel and causing motion of one portion of said mass of incandescent fuel bodily With respect to another portion of said incandescent mass.

3. The improvement in "the art of generating gas which consists in maintaining a mass of incandescent or glowing fuel, maintaining a mass of unburned fuel 1X1 proximity to and subject to the heat of the incandescent fuel, and in withdrawing the gas given off by the unburned fuel and introducing it into the mass of incandescent fuel at a point between two relatively movifngl-portions of said mass of incandescent 4. The improvement in the art of generating gas which consists in maintaining a mass of incandescent orglowing fuel, maintaining a mass of unburned fuel in proximity to and subject to the heat of the incandescent fuel, withdrawing the gas given off by ltheunburned fuel and introducing it into the mass of incandescent fuel at a point below a bodily moving portion of such mass of incandescent fuel.

5. The improvement in the art of generat ing gas which consists in maintaining a mass of incandescent fuel, causing motion of a portion of said mass bodily with re-- spect to another portion'of said incandescent mass, maintaining a mass of unburned fuel in proximity to and subject to the heat of the incandescent fuel and inclosed from the atmosphere, and in Withdrawing the gas given off by the unburned fuel and introducing it into the stationary portion of the mass of incandescent fuel.

F3. The improvement in the art of generating gas which consists in maintaining a mass of incandescent or glowing fuel, maintaining a mass of unburned fuel in proximity to and subject to the heat of the incandescent fuel, withdrawing the gas given by .the unburned fuel and introducing it into the mass of in andescent fuel at a point below a continuously agitated portion of such mass of incandescent fuel.

7. The improvementin the art of generpent the periphery a mass of unburned fuel rotating one of said masses in respect to the other to distribute the unburned fuel over said incandescent fuel and withdrawing the gas given by the unburned fuel and intro ducing it into the mass of incandescentfuel.

The improvement in the art of generating gas wh ch consists in maintaining a mass of incandescent or glowing fuel, supporting upon a portion only thereof at one sicle of the center a mass of'unburned fuel rotating one of said masses in respect to the oeher to distribute theunburned fuel over said incandescent fuel Withdrawing ibhe gas given of? by the iinburriecl fuel anal introducing it into the mass of ineamleseent fuel and witlulrms 'in-z; the gee given. ell" by like incandescent fuel.

10. The improvement in the of genersting gas which consists of maintaining a, mass of iiicsiidescenl. fuel msinmining e mass of unburned fuel in grsximity -50 and subject to the heel, of: the incandescent fuel, Withdrawing given ofi' Ly the up; burned fuel and mtretlueing it into elie mass of ineaiidescemb fuel, rotating One of said messes in respect to she other to distribute the unburneel iuei thereever and withdrew- .iiig the gas given off by the incandescent fuel separately from. that given eff from the unburned. fuel,

ii. The improven mil in the m of generating gas which CGlLJJSlIS in mainlteiriing 21, mass of fuel, supporting upon a portion only thereof adjzrcen the periphery a, seceml mass of fuel, rot-sting ssicl firsfi'ineiisieiied mess be distribute the second-mentiened muss thereover, withdrawing the gas given off by the second-mentiened mass and int-seducing said gas into the firsl -menti0ne l mess, e portion of said first-me11tioned mass being maintained. incandescent and. fresh fuel being supplied is said second-menhoned mass.

12. The improvement in. the art 6:? genermass of burning fuel sueporiaing upon a "{portion only thereof a second mass of iuel V 1 l n suu ectecl is heat 05 the first-mentioned fueLeeceting eneof said masses in respecl'. to the other te'dis'sribute the second-mew tionecl mass ever the surface of the firstmentioned; mess and causing the gas given off from the second-mentioned mass to pass in'to Contact with the first-mentioneai In testimony whereof ii. have signed name to this specification in the presence 01 two subscribing WliZHESSQS.

WZLLEAM B. CHAEEEAN. 

